BRENTFORD PREVIEW

23 November 2020

There's no time for rest as we head straight back into Sky Bet Championship this Tuesday night at Oakwell!

Just a couple of days after our latest victory and we are back at it on home soil with the visit of Brentford on Tuesday night in a 7.45pm kick-off.

Saturday saw Valérien Ismaël's side extend their recent good form with a hard-fought three points against Nottingham Forest. A 2-0 victory was secured in the last five minutes of an end-to-end encounter, thanks to a Callum Styles piledriver and a typical Cauley Woodrow finish.

That ensured the Reds picked up their 12th point of the last 15 available. Five games, four wins, four clean sheets equalling a 'dream' start to life in the Oakwell dugout for the new boss who had taken over a side who'd failed to win any of their opening seven league fixtures.

Ahead of the Bees clash, Ismaël and wing-back Callum Brittain sat down with the assembled press at Oakwell to preview the fixture, and both of their pre-match interviews can be watched on iFollow Barnsley or by clicking the linked videos below.

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VALÉRIEN ISMAËL PRE-BRENTFORD

Our Head Coach looks ahead to the visit of Brentford

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CALLUM BRITTAIN PRE-BRENTFORD

The Reds full-back discusses our upcoming clash with Brentford

Our visitors on Tuesday evening were our hosts on that fateful July evening that famously saw the Reds retain their divisional status at Griffin Park last season.

They've since lost two star performers in Said Benrahma and Ollie Watkins for huge fees to Premier League clubs but as ever, the Bees are still well stocked in forward areas, with their most notable summer signing being a former Reds striker.

Ivan Toney left Peterborough United for West London ahead of the 20/21 campaign, moving for around £5,000,000 and he's already reached double figures for the Bees. He spent a fruitful loan-spell with the Reds as a teenager some five years ago now whilst a Newcastle United player.

Brentford come into this clash unbeaten in their last five league fixtures, but they've won only one of those. They have been beaten twice on the road already at Birmingham and Stoke, but they were the victors in this fixture last term.

A Watkins hat-trick seeing them to a 3-1 victory in a game the Reds had taken the lead in, early on thanks to a worldie from Woodrow.

Since the Bees' return to the second tier however, that is their only success. The Reds have won three and drawn the other two matches played in that time.

iFollow Barnsley is the place to be for live coverage of the game, with Matt Bailey on the mic from around 7.30pm.

Match Reports

REDS NARROWLY BEATEN BY BRENTFORD

24 November 2020

Ivan Toney’s second half header was enough to condemn Barnsley to a first home defeat under Valérien Ismaël.

Unchanged from the weekend’s victory over Nottingham Forest, the Reds couldn’t quite impose themselves against a very strong Bees side and were narrowly edged out by last season’s play-off finalists.

Brentford made a brighter start to the contest and Tarique Fosu stung the hands of Jack Walton in the opening exchanges before Rico Henry rasped a low drive narrowly wide of the upright moments later.

The Reds gradually got into their free-flowing groove and, after a slick passing move, Matty James lashed over having been teed up by Conor Chaplin.

Alex Mowatt then took aim from distance and his swerving shot almost outfoxed David Raya in the visiting goal as he could only parry our skipper’s effort into a dangerous area before a Bees defender hacked clear.

Chances were few and far between at either end, with Barnsley perhaps looking likelier to break the deadlock with their quick counter-attacking football. The ever-adventurous Callum Brittain burst forward and fired a magnificent cross into the area, but Dominik Frieser just couldn’t stretch enough to get a toe on it to prod home.

HALF-TIME: Barnsley 0-0 Brentford

Ten minutes after the restart, Bryan Mbuemo picked the ball up 25-yards from goal and bent a vicious shot just over Walton’s bar as Brentford looked to gain a foothold in the game.

The visitors had the bit between their teeth and came close again when captain Pontus Jansson headed straight at Walton.

Midway through the half, though, Brentford eventually made the breakthrough when former Reds loanee Toney glanced a header into the far corner.

The Bees were in the ascendancy and almost doubled their lead moments later, but Mbuemo blazed over when clean through on goal when it appeared easier to score.

Barnsley rarely threated and, despite making a triple substitution with 20-or-so minutes remaining, those fresh legs were unable to spark new life into a tired side.

However, the hosts should have been awarded a penalty when Victor Adeboyejo outmuscled Ethan Pinnock and fired a cross into the box that struck the arm of Vitaly Janelt, but referee Darren Bond waved away the Reds’ protests.

As the board went up to indicate three minutes of stoppage time, Walton produced a fine block to deny Marcus Forss as Brentford looked to end the tie as a contest.

Despite a late rally, Barnsley were unable to snatch an equaliser and the Bees left Oakwell with all three points.

FULL-TIME: Barnsley 0-1 Brentford

Walton, Sollbauer, Helik, Andersen, Brittain, James (Kane), Mowatt (c) (Oduor), Styles, Frieser (Thomas), Woodrow, Chaplin (Adeboyejo).

Unused: Collins, Moon, Palmer, Miller, Schmidt.